[FM17] Climbing Jacob's Ladder (Part Deux)

Yes! You did it!

My days, you've finally gotten yourself out of that Georgian prison, congrats

@bigmattb28 - Thank you my man, glad to be back.

@bcsaulJ - Sure did!

@Eric Portapotty - The Georgian gulag is not enjoyable, let me tell you!

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He came, he conquered. Literally from a different world, Saturn's Yegor Piskunov was a superb loan investment for Martvili. Sealed both my approval and the fans' approval to claim player of the season ahead of Osei and Shiryaev and claimed young player of the season. Among all that, his long range floater in the 4-0 triumph over Guria was a deserved goal of the season. Another inspired buy was the purchase of Brazilian centre back Ulisses, despite not knowing how to communicate "chuck it into row Z" in Georgian he galvanized the fort which is all I could have asked from him. On a free too.

https://streamable.com/wsjq6k



30 goals in 37 appearances, 7.5 average rating, nine man of the match awards...even getting injured for a spell of 4 weeks, Yegor Piskunov truly rocked the Pirveli Liga. Moses Osei had a ton of speculation surrounding him being linked to bigger clubs but he didn't get distracted, the Ghanaian midfielder was talismanic to the promotion with his ten important assists. Robert Sălăjan didn't get to feature too much in midfield, but slightly worried that his 85% pass completion inducted him as the best passer - definitely room to improve there. Ulisses did get involved at the backline, perhaps a little bit too firm on his challenges with 8 yellows and 2 reds had the worst discipline but I'm very much looking forward to how he performs at the higher level.



The journey doesn't stop at Martvili, although being linked to more reputable sides, I'll be staying for an extra season.

TRANSFERS

OUT



Difficult decisions to make for some, easy decisions for those overstaying their welcome. Arquimedes, Khundadze and to an extent Sălăjan and Denisov served a great purpose in the promotion battle, but personally I don't think they'd cut the mustard at a higher level therefore refraining from offering a new deal. Made a light profit in Gigatadze's move to Mertskhali as he didn't suit my philosophy and the Varduashvili loan move I'll explain in a moment.

IN



Upgrades for the new season ahead, failing to mention that we extended Piskunov's loan deal for an extra three months which was a mighty relief. More or less every general area covered, new keeper, full backs, a primary playmaker and two additional strikers to vanguard along with our Russian friend.



Giorgi Varduashvili – D(R) – unattached free agent

Best to clear up the confusion about signing this guy and immediately loaning him out. Why? Greed I guess. Offloaded by Lokomotivi Tbilisi I decided to strengthen our right back department...until someone better came across my radar. Rather than letting him slouch on the bench, Sioni decided "he'll have him for 6 months". Sort of no fail situation when you think about it; we're not paying his wages for the majority of the season, he's getting game time elsewhere to improve his stats. Everybody wins.



Giorgi Tsikarishvili – M(L)/AM(L) – £6.75k from Lokomotivi Tbilisi

Previously on loan last season, the left winger impressed and decided to make this his permanent residence for a nominal fee. Everything to look for in a generic winger, takes on opponents with his quickness, stays tight to the byline. So-so crossing but we can't expect players to 'Bend it like Beckham' in the Georgian divisions. He was adamant to leave too, making contract negotiations that bit more digestible.



Dmitry Axionov – D(L) – £12.5k from Rustavi

Another player anxious to leave from the below division. Hitting his prime, this was the best possible time to retrieve him for another financially efficient deal. Rock solid mental stats drew me into this guy and had been scouting him towards the conclusion of last season. Technically not the most gifted I'll admit, but if he doesn't attempt anything too fancy we'll be just gravy.



Iulian Ionescu – ST(C) – unattached free agent

The man playing second chair to Piskunov. Just hitting into his thirties, Iulian looks like the perfect super sub to change games. Excellent flair, outstanding determination, perfect free kick taker and over 100 caps for Moldova. Didn't exactly excel in the Turkish 1.Liga but can easily look beyond that. A bit pricey on the wages but being a short term deal, I can't exactly see a flaw in this purchase.



Andro Kvekveskiri – D(R) – unattached free agent

Our primary right back and perhaps the reason why Sioni were sniffing out Varduashvili. Mentally sound and filled out that little bit extra than his competition, more balanced and pacy to take on challenges. Another player entering into his prime, again not the most technically equipped but if he's not doing rabona passes across the 18 line, we should get along fine. If not, can always recall your man.



Boris Pisarev – M(C) – £21k from Saburtalo, potentially rising to £23k

Our marquee signing of the window if you want to call it that. A little tug of war on pricing but I believe this guy will be worth the purchase fee, even if he were involved in a recently relegated Saburtalo side. Ticks all the boxes from a technical standpoint, strong determination and in excellent physical shape. A beautiful partnership alongside Osei?



Aleksandre Goguadze – GK – unattached free agent

Bringing some experience to the table, 35 year old goalie Goguadze wrestles with Kuznetsov for the number one jersey. A former league & cup winner with Dinamo Tbilisi, no doubt he'll reorient in the Georgian top flight after his release from (former) Turkish side Kayseri Erciyesspor. Assertive in the air with his robust 6'2" build and shows good reflexes for someone in their mid thirties. Well past it when it comes to speed and agility but all in all a very worthy investment.



Magomed-Shapi Yeshin – ST(C) – six month loan from Samtredia

To conclude, we brought in a low risk loan move on deadline day to add some attack to our arsenal. Bit of a one trick pony as a striker with added acceleration to snipe at the right moment. Hasn't exactly made his mark for his current club other than the reserves, but a handy third choice backup if disaster strikes..



..which it did. But more on that later.

SEASON EXPECTATIONS



Board making it quite clear that they're not expecting any fireworks on our return to the Umaglesi Liga. Should have enough fight to at least not get a record low points total. Third round of the cup achievable too.



The media also not fancying us to pull up any trees, only Sioni predicted to do worse at an equal 500-1 shot. Let's do it.

KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 2



Favourites for the league title? My ass. Game lacked any substance but the only thing that mattered was on the scoreboard. Off the bench came Ionescu to drive home in the midst of a right melee in the Samtredia box. Goguadze barely tested.

MATCHDAY 3



Could've sworn Martvili were tipped for the drop? Not based off this form. Completely dismantled Tskhinvali's tactics within half an hour; Yegor Piskunov stepping up to the plate with both his dangerous left foot and also his head, Sergey Shiryaev also used his head as the visitors really struggled defending set pieces. Goguadze with a third clean sheet in a row, saved a point blank effort from the South Ossetians who didn't offer anything for a consolation. Dominating right now.



It did come at a price though.



Not the only one (during training that is). Two important figures sidelined.

MATCHDAY 9



Everything has gone down the jacks. Our attacks have been fruitless, midfield is looking creatively barren, defending has become cowardly, but this game really did my nut in losing to the bottom club. Nothing could be done about Teleșpan's wonderful curler but the other two were just sheer incompetency. Second goal given away too easily in the middle, Pakhomov unmarked to easily finish under the poorly positioned Maxim Kuznetsov. Third was just as laughable, a cross pinged off our defenders kindly into the path of Lavrentjev to finish what was left of us. The sad part is, the scoreline didn't justify our performance. Yesin and Piskunov missed clear cut opportunities and had Kutaisi on the ropes for large spells. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



The striking contrast of how we started March to how we capitulated in April. We welcomed the new season with a bullying 2-0 display over Dila with our midfielders receiving the plaudits; Osei & Shiryaev amongst the goals and an assist from new boy Boris Pisarev coming off the bench. Everything fell into place delightfully picking up a trio of wins and going joint top of the league...then the injuries happened and the bruisings commenced.

Zugdidi's triple pronged attack line too hot for our noob asses to handle. Missed out on revenge against Dinamo Tbilisi as Pisarev scored one of the goals of the season in a 2-2 scrap. Paid an unwelcome visit to my former employers Batumi to ironically choke a lead from Mikeladze to fall flat on our backs, to be fair their second goal was pretty unstoppable. Chikhura completely demoralised us in a first half barrage where the only real chance we had was an Ionescu free kick off the crossbar. Crossed swords with our Pirveli Liga rivals Sioni, both goals sourced from corners but if it weren't for a stalwart Goguadze performance we'd be dead in the water. Concluded with the spanking to Torpedo Kutaisi.

LEAGUE TABLE



To my surprise we haven't been left behind yet. Only ten points separating top from bottom we lie in the middle of the park and not too far off the top four after a quarter of the season. The only caveat is our worrying lack of form.

But lets not lose perspective, maybe finding a senior affiliate to help us grow financially and/or have a few loan players lined up from a superior club to elevate our club image. I'm sure the board won't disagree.



Oh. Well, uh, yeah, hmmm. It turns out I'm working for a board of clowns.



I didn't mean for this to happen, but if you get a club up to the top flight and are still not gaining any respect from the board - it's time to leave.

They're idiots man, what a set of unambitious clowns!

Ah well, go and prove them wrong elsewhere....

I've never actually used that ultimatum option, you had balls for going all the way.

Wait to see if the Dinamo manager does move clubs, then maybe apply for that? Try to get them back to the top.

@HockeyBhoy - That's the plan! Shame really, I was really liking the club.

@Eric Portapotty - That's funny how you mentioned Dinamo Tbilisi.

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Nation: North Macedonia
Media Prediction (Odds): 3rd/10 (6-1)
Expectations: Challenge for title
Pros: One of the front runners in North Macedonia. Strong squad in prime age group. Predicted for European football nearly every season.
Cons: Finished 6th last season. No title in four years. No European qualification next season. Rejected my last three managerial vacancy applications. Load of foreign players make it difficult for squad registration rules.

RESULT





Nation: North Macedonia
Media Prediction (Odds): 9th/10 (150-1)
Expectations: Avoid automatic relegation
Pros: Strong 5th placed finish last season, safely avoiding predicted relegation. The name Shkupi is hella fun to say.
Cons: Transfer / wage budget not enough to transform current squad. Simply not strong enough to challenge for the league. Relegation yo-yo club.

RESULT






Nation: Bosnia
Media Prediction (Odds): 2nd/12 (5-1)
Expectations: Challenge for title
Pros: Finished third last season. Qualified for Europa League. Excellent squad depth. Predominantly ambitious and professional dressing room. Club have not finished below 6th in last two decades.
Cons: Failed to make shortlist for manager vacancy last time. No trophy in five years.

RESULT





Nation: Bosnia
Media Prediction (Odds): 1st/12 (15-4F)
Expectations: Challenge for title
Pros: Richest club in Bosnia. Title holders. Bookies favourites to retain title. Champions League football. Professional squad personality.
Cons: Winless in six games. Many key players wanted by bigger clubs. Hyper-focused on central players, no wingers in sight.

RESULT





Nation: Georgia
Media Prediction (Odds): 8th/10 (100-1)
Current Position: 10th
Expectations: Achieve mid-table
Pros: Most successful club in Georgia. Stronger squad than Martvili. Board have accepted my demands should they consider me. Current Georgian cup and super cup holders. Decent wage budget.
Cons: Bottom of the league with 16 points from 17 games. One win in ten. Not a sniff of a league title in six, becoming seven years. Over £600k in the red. £0 transfer budget. Similar circumstances leading to the Batumi relegation.

RESULT

Dinamo Tbilisi! Much more famous than Merani Martvili. Great choice and good luck!

HAHAHAHA CALLED IT, GET IN

@bcsaulJ - I mean, there's absolutely no comparison there!

@Eric Portapotty - You did indeed, but can you call the outcome of this stint?

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FM ERA




Long gone are the days where Dinamo swept up domestically, nowadays its more evenly spread out among others such as Dila, Tskhinvali and the latest holders Zugdidi. Mind you they still remain top dogs for all domestic competitions; lifting a further 24 league trophies, 26 cups and an eye watering 33 super cups. Now thats all well and good as a tale of a fallen giant in hopes of reanimating their past glories, however when it comes to this challenge I rarely have time to rebuild and would be reluctant to staying longer than I anticipated...honestly I’m really starting to dislike the Georgian top flight based on repressed memories *cough Batumi*.

CURRENT SEASON



Everything looked set for liftoff on the back of yet another Super Cup final success beating Zugdidi 2-1, coupled with the opening day victory at home to Samtredia; but suddenly winning became a scarcity with only two wins in their last sixteen games, struggling for goals too. It leaves us bottom of the division with only sixteen points but no cause for concern yet, when have we seen that before? Batumi déjà vu?

SQUAD



Eyeing up the squad, I’m at a loss to why they’re performing so poorly. On the surface this is a strong looking squad, overall professional demeanour and the dressing room isn’t too fractured either (famous last words). Only a handful of teens juxtaposed with only one player over 30, majority hitting primal age. Am I missing a trick here?

KEY PLAYER - Ucha Zaalishvili - D(R)



No nonsense full back with strength to barge light wingers like plastic bags in the wind. Well versed mentally with good solid concentration and positioning, technicals you'd expect from an established international right back and built like a defender with a Subbuteo base. Could offer something on the overlap too if I train up his speed and crossing.

EXPECTATIONS



The board obviously don't trust me with any booty at the early growth of my Tbilisi tenure, nice fat wage budget though to add a couple of extra stars to the mix. Pretty pedestrian expectations, mid-table may be asking for too much, how about we step out of the mud and cleanse ourselves before trying on the tuxedo yeah? Cup quarter finals easily doable. Did they fail to mention we're also in the Europa League qualifying? Anyways lets get to work.

Wonderful introduction, as usual!

@bcsaulJ - Thank you my man, they do take a while write up especially since I'm limited on time these days. Glad you're still enjoying it!

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TRANSFERS

IN



Without upsetting the dynamic of the squad too much, only opted to bring in a new centre back and a familiar goal machine on loan.



Yegor Piskunov - ST(C) - end of season loan from Saturn

Reunited and it feels so good. No introduction necessary, absolute goal fiend at Martvili and aiming to offer more in the top flight. Hasn't progressed dramatically attribute wise but being a traditional poacher, all he needs to know is where the goal is. A welcome entrant.



Sergey Trufanov - D(C) - £15k from Rustavi

Scouted him for a while with Martvili after impressive displays for Rustavi, the only drawback were his wage demands being too high for us - not anymore. Defensive rock with his strength and can lock into challenges well while winning the ball. Strong determination means he'll no doubt improve at his young age of 23 and have faith in him to airlock the backline of silly goalworthy mistakes. Not the only reason I bought him.



Because we'll be missing another CB for a while.

KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 18



Off to a promising start. Dila's first half dominance failed to pay off with two key misses and a point blank header cannoning off the bar. Coordinated ourselves in the second half to upset the balance of play; Sergey Volkov finished like a true striker into the roof of the net, while a blistering counter attack thanks to an unbelievable run from Guy Ngah was squared to Zirka loanee Ponomar to tap in the second. Just gotta ride your luck sometimes to get results.

MATCHDAY 21



Back to the old watering hole and hosing these shower in their own back garden. Simple cut back to Dobryanskyi in a move started by Yegor Piskunov had us well on our way until a clumsy penalty broke down all our good work. Result was never in doubt though, Volkov came back from injury to ping a beautiful header off the back of Ngah's free kick to restore the advantage and the Nigerians work rate did not go unrecognised as he combined with Piskunov to stroll into an empty net. Game recognise game.

MATCHDAY 22



Bittersweet draw against that chucked me to the curb. Poorly exposed down the left blank where we conceded twice from crosses into a fiery Denis Stepanov who was a peculiar nuisance all game - scoring twice and let us off the hook with a potential hat-trick. Dobryanskyi equalised the first time with a superb free kick on the edge of the D but still trailed going into the dressing room. Took us little time to draw level again, lovely threaded balls down the central route, Piskunov laying it on a platter for Khvadgiani to tuck in. So very nearly lost it towards the end, leaving Mikeladze with a free header but luckily straight at Kupreishvili. Fortunate result in my eyes.

DAVIT KIPRIANI CUP

THIRD ROUND DRAW



An hour drive south to second tier Algeti, has the stench of an upset.

THIRD ROUND



Not far off was I? Our second string struggled and if it weren't for the chemistry of our two senior players Ponomar & Khvadagiani, this would have swung the other way. An early lead may have given us a false sense of security as Algeti fired back immediately through Volkov and their confidence soon flowed as Kulikov drilled in a low header to completely dumbfound us. Looked a lot sharper second half, Khvadagiani and Ponomar wove stunning passes to each other and turned it around. A game to question squad depth, ability and who's truly fit to wear the kit.

QUARTER FINAL DRAW



Another away day, another second tier throwaway. Slightly more confident about this one.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND DRAW



Pitted against Icelandic nobodies Knattspyrnufélag Fjallabyggðar, I pray for the commentators ripping their tongues out to pronounce this club name.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND




Hardly a contest with the opposition fielding greyed out farmers. Guy Ngah practically finished the tie in half an hour, an own goal the non leaguers would frown upon and a quick second half strike from Dobryanskyi was enough of a performance in leg one, obviously letting the home team have a little pride to score one. Chopped and changed in leg two, same level of dominance. Guy Ngah helped himself to another, set up a worldie for Tedo Chkhaidze who himself assisted to Davit Nadiradze. Job done, next.

SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND DRAW



Sticking to the cold climates, much tougher opposition in Strømsgodset.

SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND




YA BEAUTY! Praise be Khvadagiani and his shithousery to upset the odds and progress. Strømsgodset should have blown us away in the first leg if not for some key Kupreishvili saves and their horrendous end product, however Andreas Ødegaard (no relation to Martin) snuck in the only goal in Norway - although did seem to impede the keeper in doing so. Rallied in a few chances to snatch an away goal, forcing their keeper into some good saves. Flying back home the Norwegians the stage was set to pull it back from a late penalty no less, Khvadagiani held his nerve to balance the tie. From there Strømsgodset melted like the proverbial glacial fjord and a long hoofed ball upfield was the perfect recipe for Khvadagiani to beat the keeper to the ball and flick a header into the empty net. You love to see it.

THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND DRAW



Home to waffles and Marouane Fellaini, Standard Liège come next.

THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND




Sadly a step too far above our weight class. Was almost set up in a carbon copy way to the Strømsgodset game away in Belgium, failed to clear a free kick and the second cross evaded everyone but Kauffmann at the back post unmarked to grab the win in leg one, also hitting the post twice while we could barely craft anything in the opposition half. Back in Tbilisi, it didn't have the same outcome as the previous round - in fact the exact opposite. While we created more, we were too open and far more liable to mistakes, one of which being conceding a penalty for Bouchez to kill the game. Khvadagiani desperately unlucky to hit the bar twice in quick succession and Liège profited on the counter, twice stung by young Belgian prospect Nolan Girardet. A cataclysmic end to our European adventure.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



In among the Europa League and friendlies we've made a promising start to life in Tbilisi. Opening with that win over Dila before being bored to death in a scrap with Samtredia.
The Standard Liège defeat seeped into our league form with a horrendous defeat to Tskhinvali who were 3-0 up before 25 minutes, left it to damage limitation. Then followed up with the Batumi win, the cup win and the Martvili draw.
Team gelling into each other nicely, creatively potent especially from midfield and Khvadagiani's goalscoring threat has been a joy to watch.

LEAGUE TABLE



Okay, we're still in the pig heap but eight points from my first five league games isn't too bad, bridging the gap to safety and ambitiously beyond. The game in hand will be crucial to attempt to leapfrog our way out of danger, only then will be consider the bigger picture.



Factually incorrect I guess if you take the Soviet aspect out, but congrats to Irakli for breaking the all time record goalscorer title with his 90th and no doubt plenty more to come.

Still following this when I can, haven't commented much as I haven't been logged in.
Interesting times with Dinamo!

@r96Skinner - Glad to still have you on board!

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KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 24



A massive leap to safety, grabbing the game by the hips from the get go. One of the quickest goals on my FM adventures, 17 seconds is all it took for Khvadagiani to half volley home and put Sioni under severe pressure. Despite missing two sitters, it was only a matter of time before the second; Oleg Bermudes fouled Zaalishvili in the area, sent off, Khvadagiani did the rest. Much needed relief.

MATCHDAY 27



This is like crabs in a bucket; as we try to escape Samtredia drag us right back in. Truly hopeless here, only one side came to play and a cheap header from a free kick was only a taster. Abesadze doubled his tally sneaking goalside onto a through ball, then went on to concede two penalties - Kupreishvili saving the first to his credit but guessed wrong for the second kick by Asatiani. Dobryanskyi probably did the right thing getting sent off before the final whistle to skip the bath and just drive home before I let fly with the hairdryer treatment afterwards. Embarrassment.

MATCHDAY 30




Easily our best performance yet, another cheeky nibble at Batumi. Excellent discipline on the counter attacks, all three of our strikers netting in the first half including a maiden strike from story favourite Yegor Piskunov to end a rotten goal drought, Ngah and Khvadagiani also getting onto the picture. Took the foot off the gas a little bit on the flipside to allow Batumi a soft goal but still had a firm grip of things. If that weren't bad enough for Batumi, they conceded an absolute fluke from Khvada through a cross-cum-shot (stop giggling) that landed in off the post to leave their keeper pretty red faced. Momentum firmly with us.

DAVIT KIPRIANI CUP

QUARTER FINAL



One step closer to a long overdue piece of silverware. Had faith of going with a second string again, but with one or two more seniors to boost our chances but we felt a lot safer during proceedings. Guy Ngah used his power to drive home the opening goal midway through the half, almost getting caught up in excitement as Betlemi went straight down the other end and almost caused us putting a spectacular own goal in - backup GK Maximenko spared blushes with a double stop. Ngah and Chkhaidze combined in a slick move to put the result beyond doubt.

SEMI FINAL DRAW



Of course it is. The "when idols become rivals" cliché. Rest assured it won't be sentiment over the prize.

SEMI FINAL



A semi final consumed by nerves. Martvili will rue a miss by their new loan striker Denis Stepanov who caught on to a whipped cross and missed from less than six yards straight at Kupreishvili, which could have sealed the game. Equally Khvadagiani broke away in a 3 on 2 situ, but denied by experienced Goguadze who of course we signed before my departure. With two rolls of the dice, I brought on Roman Nazarov to clinch it for us and did exactly what it says on the tin as he hammered in Zaashvili's cross top bins and send us to a cup final.

FINAL DRAW



Torpedo Kutaisi are the last hurdle to leap over. Having a wishy washy midtable year but will no doubt be a tough opponent. Let the battle commence.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



September began with fortunate point at home to Chikhura who more or less helped us in conceding a penalty and a red card in a match they largely controlled. Two scoreless draws followed the Sioni win; speaking of Torpedo Kutaisi, we should have buried them six feet under but Khvadagiani had a shocker up top, in contrast we were non existent away to Dila but in truth neither side deserved to win it.
The transition into October was pretty horrendous, three defeats on the bounce to Samtredia, Tskhinvali and Zugdidi respectively and stretching our winless streak to five games. I do have a feeling the cup semi sparked life back into us to overpower Batumi, but didn't quite catch on in a second meeting with Martvili who gained a bit of revenge in holding us all square with Nazarov cancelling out Stepanov's late first half strike.

LEAGUE TABLE



Man, these final five games are so crucial. Sat back in the relegation zone with the luxury of a game in hand over Samtredia, Martvili not entirely safe either. Our final five are as follows: Chikhura (A), Sioni (H), Torpedo Kutaisi (A), Zugdidi (H) & closing curtains with Dila (H). All tied in with a cup final too, how we prioritise each is so vital. As much as I crave silverware, staying in the division is surely of greater value. I love the stress of being a manager.

As always a fantastic write up mate! Pray and hope you beat the drop! Nothing worse than a relegation!

@bigmattb28 - Glad to still have you on board! I know, I've already experienced two in this save.

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KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 33



This was truly a must win or else we'd have a bigger hole to dig ourselves out of. Luckily Sioni's lethargic attitude paved way for a key victory and surely see them face the drop. Guy Ngah hooked a lovely cross in for Piskunov to head in the opener, then Piskunov returned the favour on the counter to put Ngah through for the Cameroonian to blast home a second before the break. Sioni did trouble us late on in receiving a soft penalty from the referee, however Chepelyuk's kick was read well by Kupreishvili to keep it out. One step closer to safety.




Sadly our useful playmaker Ponomar was caught in the crossfire meaning Zirka recalled him.

MATCHDAY 34



An entertaining scrap which we got the better of. Torpedo ballooned two key efforts in the first five minutes and were duly punished with an unmarked Guy Ngah half volleying and defender Dmytro Reznyk taking advantage of sloppy marking from a corner. Although we were caught on the break for Lavrentjev to pull it back to 2-1, we always had control and exuded confidence on the ball. Second half it was only a matter of time before wrapping it up, Kupreishvili assisting a long pass to Nadiradze who blasted home at their near post. Nearly there lads.

MATCHDAY 35



Aaaand breathe. Quite an impressive victory too given that Zugdidi have always been a bogey side of mine, however their shaky recent form gave way for the underdog. Zugdidi's keeper will not want to rewatch the highlights reel, at fault for both first half goals; Yegor Piskunov rounded him with ease and Sergey Trufanov beat him to an aerial call to head into an open net. Kept the visitors in the pocket throughout and guarantee survival...not that we should have been in this precarious position to begin with.


DAVIT KIPRIANI CUP

FINAL



Can I finally place my greasy mitts around some Georgian silverware?



RESULTS OVERVIEW



A superb ending to a rocky season and perhaps a fresh start going into the next. November began with an acceptable 2-2 draw away to Chikhura, I say acceptable as the goals we conceded were awfully soft and would have battered them in the dressing room if we had surrendered the points altogether.
The curtain closer wasn't much to write home about, deadest of rubber facing Dila in a no pressure stalemate, rotating the lineup for a few of our benchwarmers.

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE




Let's not sugarcoat it, seventh place is far beneath my estimations of the club and should not be encouraged. Couple of extra games we could have snuck into the top four but we'll happily take the cup slot into the Europa League next season. Tskhinvali have come a long way since my last stint in Georgia from being a relegation yo-yo side to league champions. Also warms my heart that Martvili stayed up this season while Sioni and Samtredia faced the drop. Much work ahead for us.



Future is bright at least for Dinamo Tbilisi as they secured the U19 league.

Great going mate

Welcome back! Fantastic win in the cup!

@bigmattb28 - Thanks man!

@bcsaulJ - Glad to be back, thank you again! Long may it continue.

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Although we may be saying goodbye to him in the future, Zaalishvili is still a community favourite winning player of the season for 2065 with his solid right back displays. Top scorer Khvadagiani was a close second and a rare sight of a goalkeeper completing the top three in the shape of Kupreishvili. Goal of the season was credited to a beautifully delivered Dobryanskyi free kick against my former allies Martvili. Left winger Evgeny Kazakov, although not my signing nor does he fit in with my tactical plans was voted as the signing of the season ironically enough. Roman Kupreishvili earned the coveted young player of the season award, highlighting that you don't need to be an outfielder to make your mark.

Also a big shoutout to Streamable who now delete your uploads after x amount of days, meaning I've resorted to Youtube for my highlights now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57IyKTNbkiQ



Irakli Khvadagiani definitely earned his stripes with dominating displays in front of goal which ultimately kept our heads above water, without him we'd have sunk like a bag of rocks. 17 goals for the long standing Tbilisi man, 7.03 avg rating (which is well below standards) and 6 man of the match awards. Guy Ngah assisted most in the front line of three, 10 assists for the quick and crafty Cameroonian. Midfielder Tedo Chkhaidze was the reliable passer for the campaign with 87% completion, something we need to improve on going forward. As for discipline, Reznyk got himself physically involved throughout with yellow cards reaching double figures, while Dobryanskyi was our sole red card recipient.



Locked in for another tough year at Dinamo, where the only way is up from this point.

This is some story mate, it's one that I've aspired to be as good as with mine.

@HockeyBhoy - Thanks man high praise, I need to catch up on your story too!

___________________________________________



TRANSFERS

OUT



Turning in a nice bit of net profit with two sales and releasing two players who didn't fit our wage bill. Yury Yakovlev gathered dust as our third/fourth choice CB who complained about first team football, Tskhinvali decided that was good enough to shell out nearly £100k for him. Nadiradze was under the microscope for Swiss side Lugano who we negotiated some very profitable add-ons to nearly £160k, given that he's a right winger in a 4-3-3, square pegs in round holes - easy decision. Also helped fund our ins for the season.

IN



Defensively focused window, making up two of our five new signings - the others being two playmakers and a striker. And now you're probably asking yourself "did this guy pass GCSE mathematics? I see six signings?".

Well...




Farcical. Rostov's problem now.



Alan Kovalenko - D(R) - £13k from Lokomotiv Moscow

Anticipating the impending Zaalishvili transfer saga, refusing to lock in a new contract and making intentions clear of leaving in the very near future, this guy however was the best alternative. Slightly more technical than Zaa, physically on par with a bit more natural fitness. Mentally a bit raw to get to the same level but the 23 year old has ample time to improve. Better crosser on the overlap which might be the key difference. Bargain price despite taking a sizable chunk of the wage.



Dmytro Berkyta - M(C) - £6.75k from Sioni

A player I had my eye on when stationed at Martvili, stand out individual in a relegated Sioni side with seven assists. Despite pushing his mid-thirties, he's showing no signs of regression with his natural fitness, work rate and flair. Excellent determination almost makes him the perfect role model for our aspiring under 19 squad. The only downside once again lies with a hefty wage demand but I can see healthy returns in this investment.



Dmitry Dmitriev - ST(C) - season long loan from Lokomotiv Moscow

Teaming up with Kovalenko is a striker so prestigious they named him one and a half times. Prior experience in Georgia with Saburtalo and has nine in eleven for Loko's B team, I'm thinking a perfect poacher to click in with Khvadgiani and Ngah in our front three. Offers a good deal of speed which would be ideal for counter attacks. Not the most gifted of players, but a low risk loan deal who can bag us some dubs.



Olexandr Oliynyk - D(L) - unattached free agent

Dismissed by Ukrainian second tier outfit Arsenal-Kyiv, we've given the left back a new home. Another player rife with experience, still has the physicality to get involved in extra phases of play and perhaps our other wing back option with his quickness. Lack of concentration may leave us exposed on counters, hoping his competent positioning counteracts the fear. Still an upgrade on our current choice LB.



Davit Svanadze - M(C)/AM(C) - unattached free agent

Arguably the pick of the bunch. Surprisingly released by Dila, either for the lack of a renewal option or being surplus to requirements but I'm very excited to see him in action. Drawn in by his expert technique, his decision making, flair, vision and passing could make him our ideal playmaker. Didn't exactly set the world alight last season with only two assists and avg rating below 6.7, its an opportunity to reinvent himself either as part of a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 diamond option considering he's more suited to the attacking mid. Only required £400p/w to convince him, almost too ideal to say no.

SEASON EXPECTATIONS



Although we're not tipped for mounting a title challenge, we're one of the favourites to qualify for Europe at a respectable 8-1 fourth placed finish. Board looking for top half from me this season which is sort of the level we want to work towards, given our new signings at least.

GEORGIAN SUPER CUP

FINAL DRAW



Raising the traps for another year against league winners Tskhinvali, the ideal mettle test.

FINAL

KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 2



Mugged off the league champions in the most satisfying manner as one of our former gopniks laid it on a plate for our victory. Selling Yakovlev both benefited us financially and penalised Tskhinvali with a sloppy mistake to Dmitriev who squared it to Khvadagiani for a simple tap in. The favourites were close to drawing if not for a fingertip save onto the post by Kupreishvili to preserve an important win. Best £83k return I've ever made.

MATCHDAY 4



If there's one side I'd abolish from this league, it's this Zugdidi crowd. Their direct style truly too much for our backline to handle, going one down on a counter with Puiu getting in behind and crossed to the unmarked Kakashvili. Despite going down to ten men following a second caution to Ilja Ustinov, our luck did not improve and another floated ball beyond the rearguard allowed the same man to hammer in a second from the edge of the box. Kakashvili for Zugdidi, while our finishing can only be described as proper kaka (and no, I'm not referring to the Brazilian).

MATCHDAY 5



Tbilisi is blue. Our Lokomotiv opponents were anything but locomotive - in fact the train broke down entirely in the first half. The three pronged attack worked wonders; Ngah, Dmitriev and Nazarov all sealing braces past a weary looking Loko defence who we manhandled all game. The reds retrieved a shred of dignity with Marseille loanee Chijioke charitably getting one back but it could've gotten uglier than this if it weren't for certain injuries.




Yes, "certain injuries" indeed. Two massive blows overshadowing an otherwise delightful derby day display.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



Two months of ups and downs with no inbetween. Our opening day started well against Chikhura, but finished in a second half capitulation with three second half goals erasing Dmitriev's debut league goal. Things did improve with back to back wins, the Tskhinvali 1-0 and defeating my former nightmare Batumi 2-0 (hiding the fact we missed two penalties in this one).

April started with that cumbersome Zugdidi display juxtaposed with the demolition of Lokomotivi Tbilisi a week later. Then the aforementioned 'certain injuries' crippled our progress, slumming to consecutive single goal defeats to Dila and Torpedo Kutaisi respectively, both of which we'd have taken something from with a fit and inform Guy Ngah.

At least we crested the wave as April concluded; held onto a Dmitriev penalty win over Martvili and just about overcame the brave newcomers Algeti with Khvadagiani's double and centre back Sukhiashvili restoring our advantage.

LEAGUE TABLE



On glancing at the league table perhaps the Zugdidi result doesn't look as drab as first thought, they're breezing to a five point lead over Torpedo Kutaisi in second and eight ahead of us in third. Four defeats in nine games is a bit of a black mark on our season already, however if we gain some forward momentum and consistency next month we may even nibble away at Zugdidi's lead. Can't help but feel bad for Martvili being left behind at the bottom of the league.

KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 10



This was some top tier shithousery from Chikhura. Far too casual of an approach both offensively and defensively; going forward Khvadagiani, Dmitriev and Svanadze all missed sitters while having the game by the balls. Catastrophic errors at the back lead to our downfall, failing to track the run of Marchenko at the near post from a low cross, while the second goal was just too shameful to describe - long story short Marchenko won't score an easier goal than what was presented to him. Seldom I get vexed during FM, but was close to having projectiles thrown across the room.

MATCHDAY 13



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Zugdidi I despise you with a burning passion. Takes something special to crack a team so organised, but Evgeny Kazakov's exceptional free kick from nearly 30 yards could have been the redemption we craved. Nah mate. Back came the unbeaten leaders with ferocity, Romanian pairing Stoica & Puiu broke our spirits before half time. No fight at all thereafter, Zugdidi controlled it until the last kick and nearly adding more weight on the victory.

MATCHDAY 14




Following the bludgeoning 6-1 win a month ago, Loko were out for revenge and couldn't have picked a more timely moment to embarrass us. Easily our worst performance as Dinamo manager, 17 shots on goal - ONE ON TARGET, a goal that came from 25 yards. Zero concentration lead to early goals at the start of either half, while we left the Loko keeper's top completely spotless apart from Berkyta's effort which earned a ripple of applause from those who stayed and watched this dross. Fumin'.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



May is blood red, knee deep in the mud. The sloppy Chikhura game got a rise out of us for the next match away to Tskhinvali, Khvadagiani on hand to come from behind twice but sadly losing overall 4-2. Minor history was made against Batumi in which Shota Svanidze, a 16 year old prospect came on to become our record youngest goalscorer - oversighted considering it was a mere consolation in defeat to Batumi. Two of the same scoreline came along and ended the month as hollow shells, Dila completely tormenting us in a match where 3-1 was fairly kind on us. Absolutely nothing going right, but thankfully a month break might reinvigorate us.

LEAGUE TABLE



European ambitions well and truly in the toilet, hovering now just two points above safety with our Tbilisi rivals on our heels. Not even in the same stratosphere as Zugdidi, barely a threat to the top four - everything has turned to shit.

...or has it?



Nation: Georgia
Media Prediction (Odds): 6th/10 (19-1)
Current Position: 6th
Expectations: Top half finish
Pros: Current league holders. Still competing in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. Nearly £3m in the coffers. Ideal squad options to facilitate a 4-3-3 system. Budgets plentiful to upgrade players in the future. Favourite to take over.
Cons: Underperforming. One win in their last seven league games. Best centre back handed in transfer request.

RESULT:

What a cliff hanger to leave us on mate!!!

FM ERA





With their depressing outlook and financial woes on the field, their Football Manager credentials sure are a sight for sore eyes. Not only have they secured silverware, they’ve been crowned league champions twice in 2061 and 2065, both by a four point margin over Torpedo Kutaisi and Dinamo Batumi respectively. A surprise to many they also shocked the world with a Davit Kipriani cup back in 2023, outsmarting Dinamo Tbilisi in the final. Forty years later they reached a second cup final, cruelly penalised in a shootout defeat to Batumi following a 1-1 draw. This season also saw their first time lifting the Georgian super cup against...you guessed it, my previous club. These are exciting times ahead for Tskhinvali and will hope to bring them to further glory and once and for all cross Georgia off the list for good!

Money doesn't look to bad either!

CURRENT SEASON



Truthfully speaking, they've no better consistency than us this season (minus the six straight losses) but with stronger front three in scoring goals from Sergey Tkachenko, Denis Zhdanov and Nikita Volodin. I'm surprised the job became vacant even if they are the league champions, predictions estimated it was unlikely to repeat it and their set of results haven't been as awful as ours. Mind you lately they've dipped sharply, chipping six unanswered goals to Zugdidi and Lokomotivi Tbilisi respectively. The Champions League aspect was too tempting to reject, comfortably breezing past Tre Penne to advance to 3QR and one step closer to guaranteed group stages with a tie against FCSB (Steaua Bucharest).

SQUAD



Without question the squad is offensively and creatively manufactured with the exception of a hotly tipped left back and DC/MC hybrid. Upgrades to defense are at the top of my shopping list once the end of the season rolls around without upsetting the chemistry of whats already available to us. Even better news is our top centre back withdrew his transfer request, failing to attract offers from larger clubs so all carte blanche onwards. Lots of players in their primal ages of mid twenties/early thirties while simultaneously having young players with aspiring potential coming through.

KEY PLAYER - Maxym Onopko - M(C)



Not long in the door from Dnipro Footballing Academy, this Ukrainian playmaker could be the hub to make our attacking threat irresistible. Ignore his shady recent form, its my opportunity to get the best out of him and immediately tinkered with the idea of molding him into a roaming playmaker - which believe me at this level is extremely rare to find any player with that role listed in some shade of green. Passing and dribbling need the greatest attention, unleashing his already solid vision & decision making to pick out a through ball to our three cavaliers. Fun challenge to work with.

SEASON EXPECTATIONS



Champions League expectation already ticked, securing mid table should be no issue (then again this league is notoriously hard to predict) and although I've won the Davit Kipriani cup already, quarter finals is totally realistic. Also note that transfer budget may skyrocket should we progress to the next qualifying round in Europe and deliver that hard earned UEFA mint. Let's begin shall we?

Damn was your experience at Dinamo that bad?

Wow that's great sir hope to work with you sir.im a football player free agent.sir.

It's a game you know

Dude, don't ruin the guys hopes and dreams to have DNZY be his manager. 😀